Cleaner for machine-switching banks



' May 11 ,1926. v 1,584,033

. W. F. KANNENBERG CLEANER FOR MACHINE SWITCHINGBANKS Filed Oct. 23,1924 INVENTOR I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Mlirli' Ifannenbe ATTORNEY May 11',1926.

W. F. KANNENBERG CLEANER FOR mcnnw SWITCHING BANKS Fil ed OCT.-

23, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 rdlt Fig.4

INVENTOR Walter l f. Kan nan berg A TTORNEY Patented May 11, 1926 WALTERF. KAN NENBERG, F PAUL, MINNESOTA.

CLEANER FOR MACHINE-SWITCHING BANKS.

Application filed October 23, 1924. Serial No. 745,531.

The present invention relates to a mechanical cleaner 'for'machineswitching apparatus. I

In a machine switching apparatus of a type employing a plurality ofsuper-imposed segmental banks of contact terminals of the type commonlyknown as the Strowger or.

step-by-step type, it is desirable to keep the contact terminals thereoffree from dust n and foreign matter, which is carried by the air andwhich may settle on the contactterminals to prevent electrical contacttherewith of a brush or wipingmember to com- Another object is to cleansimultaneously a plurality of superposed segmental contact banks of amachine switching apparatus.

In order to attain these objects there is provided, in accordance withone feature of the invention, a frame whichlockingly engages a portionof a machine switching apparatus, a plurality of arcuate cleaningmembers to fit between the superposed banks of so such machine switchingapparatus, and mechanically actuated means operatively connected to thearcuate cleaning members to cause an oscillatory movement thereof toclean said banks.

These and other features of the invention will be more specificallybrought out in the following description and the accompanying drawings,wherein; Figure 1, shows a view in isometric projcction of a portion ofa machine switching apparatus with a cleaning mechanism made inaccordance with the present invention connected thereto.

Figure 2, is a view in horizontal section of Figure 1, taken on the line22 of Figure 1. j i Figure 3, is a view in vertical section on the line3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure .45, is a View in vertical section of a portion of a switch bankof a different type from that shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5, shows a top and side elevation respectively of a channeledslide member employed in the cleaning mechanism.

Figure 6, shows a top and side elevation and Figure 7, is 'a sectionalview on the line 77 of Figure 3. p

Referring to the drawings in detail, a switch bank 1 may be composed ofsuperposed arcuate strips of insulative material having contact members2, which may be of brass gripped between the layers o-f'insulativematerial in a well known manner. Banks are usually mounted in pairs, oneabove the other, as shown in Figure 1, and are aflixed in position onposts 3 at either end of each bank by means of metallic strips 4integrally connected to the top and bottom of each bank.

A rod 5 is positioned centrally of the arc of switch banks 8 and extendsupward into a container 6 where it is operatively associated withmechanism contained therein to actuate the rod to bring wipers 7 carriedby respectively of an end of a cleaning member;

the rod 5 into electrical contact with a predetermined pair of terminalsin an upper and a lower bank in a well known manner. Thewiper 7 inFigure 1 is associated with the upper bank, and a second similar wiper,not shown, is positioned on rod 5 to be associated with the lower bank.The wipers are positioned, When the rod 5 is in a normal, unoperatedcondition, one step below and to the left of the switch banks.

A test jack 8 is affixed to the right side of the upper bank, and to thetest jack, and extending inwardly therefrom is a tag holder 9 which isused to contain designating indicia for the switch upon which it ismounted. The cleaning mechanism' of applicants invention comprises aU-shaped frame A, a leg 10 of which is curved inwardly at 11 to clear atag holder 9 carried by switch 1, the end of leg 10 being bent outwardlyto engage post 3. The other leg 12 of the U-shaped frame is bentinwardly at the end thereof and a clamp member 13 is pivotally connectedto leg 12. A thumb screw 14 is connected to the leg 12 to operate uponthe outer surface of clamp member 13 to draw it toward the leg 12 sothat an in wardly bent end 15 of the clamp engages post 3 to hold thedevice in position thereon. A shaft housing 16, integral with the frameA, rotatably carries a shaft 17 upon which is afiixed an eccentric cam18, Slidably mounted upon a cross member 19 of the U-shaped frame in amanner to receive the cam therein is a channeled member 20, the sidewalls of which are acted uponby the periphery of the cam to receive areciprocatory motion therefrom when said cam is rotated. Thechanneled-member iSprOvided with an opening 21 which receives a post 22integrally connected to' an oscillating member 23 which is arcuate incross section and is concentric with the interior face of switch banks3.Integrally afiixed to the lower surface of cross member 19 is a plate 24between bent'up sides 25 of which are afiixed in a manner to rotatefreely therebetween rollers 26, 27, and 28. Rollers 26 and 27 arepositioned to engage. the outer curved'surface of arcuate member 23, androllerq28 is positioned to engage the inner surfacethereof,

locking position where it is slid inwardly to extend across the space.between said members. A spring 33 connected to the ends 29,ifs'positioned to engage an annular flange on locking pin 32 tohold thepin imposition when said pin is pushed in to a locking position.

A cleaning member B is composed of two end portions 3% and 35, to theback of each 'of which isafiixed a perforated post 36,- located in thecentral portion thereof, Afs

fixed to the upperend of each end member, by means of a screw 37, is anarcuate strip 43 of thin spring metal such as springv brass-which ispreferably corrugated. A pluralityof lugs38 areprovided on each of theend members 3 1 and 35 and these lugs.

are spaced apart sothat the space between each pair of lugs shall beopposite a space between two adjacent rowsof contactterminals on thelnner face of a switch banlt when the deviceis in operative positionthereon. A plurality of" arcuate cleaning leaves 39 are secured to theend members'by means-of pins tO'which extend entirely through allof thelugs .38, and. through an end of eachof the arcuate cleaning leaves,

Each arcuate cleaning leaf comprises a stiff central portion wh1ch maybe of fiber board,

and a covering therefor which may be of cloth or similar material. It isto be understood that the structure of the cleaning leaves is notessential andlthat any cleaningmember sulted for the. purpose will comewithin the spirit and-scope of the invention.

The spring member 4:3 is normally 'positioned to lie in a planeextending slightly downward from that ofthe top surface of endmembers34t and 35so as'to maintain a pressure upon the top surface ofthe upper cleaningleaf.- I

Certain types of switch banks are of the structure shownin"Figure 3,where each terminal comprises an upper and a lower contact pointseparated by a strip of micarta or other insulating material. o In v an-1 other type of switch bank each terminal comprisesbut one contact point(see Figure 4').

It is apparent that the same cleaning. leaf would not be suitable forboth types of banks since the separation between rows 2 of terminals isgreater in a bank of the type shown in Figure 4, than that'in Figure 3,A cleaning memberhaving thicker leaves is, therefore, required to cleana switch of the type shown in Figure 45 than that required to a clean aswitch of the type shown in Figure 3, and, since the J cleaning memberis re movable, a cleaner for each type of bank may be provided and usedinterchangeably with the same operative mechanisml "The operation of thedevice is as follows: A cleaning member B' is inserted in a switch bank1, the rows of contact terminals of the switch acting as guides'to'cause each leaf of the cleamngmember to enter a space between ad acentrows of contact terminals.

The spring 18' press'es'the top cleaning leaf iuto intimate contact withthe upper row of Contact terminals. Theotlier leaves, being of athickness to have a fairly snug vtit bequire no additional pressure tobring. them into intimate contact with the contact terminals to becleaned. The under side of the lower row of contact terminals does notcollect suflicient dust to require a vigorous cleaning action and,therefore, it is not necessary to provide a spring member to hold theb'ot-- tom cleaning leaf in intimate contact with terminals. v

After inserting thecleaningmember B in position in the switch bankthebentf end of leg 10 of the U-shap'ed' frame A is hooked into engagementwith bank post 3. The frame A is then moved forward" into an operativeposition, and clamp .member 13' is forced by the wing nut 14: to grippost 3'to' hold the frame in positon. The perforated posts 36 are now inposition betweenthe members 30 and 31 and the locking pins 32 may bemanually pushed upward to engage the perforations in posts 86to locltthe cleaning member: B onto the'arcuate oscillating member 23'. Thedevice-is'then set in opera tion by rotating the shaft 17 which causesthe cam .18 to move the channeledmember-20 back and forth on crossmember 19 of the U-shaped frame.- This in turn moves post 22 andoscillates arcuate member; 23. The arcuate member is held in positionbetween tween" therows of contact terminals, re-' the three rollers 26,27, and 28, and these three rollers being positioned to define an arc ofa circle having a curvature equal to that of arcuate member 23, causesaid arcuate member to oscillate about its center of curvature. Thecleaning leaves 39 being concentric with arcuate member 23 and also withthe segmental switch banks 1, are moved so that the curved leaves passback and forth across the contact terminals to thoroughly clean them.

What I claim is:

1. A switch cleaning device, comprising a laminated arcuate cleaningmember, a perforated lug on each end thereof, and means to connect thelugs to an oscillating plate to oscillate said cleaning member.

2. A switch cleaning device, comprising a frame, an arcuate platemounted for 0s cillation therein, means to oscillate said arcuate plate,and cleaning means removably connected to the arcuate plate to oscillateabout the center of curvature of said arcuate plate to clean a switch.

3. A switch cleaning device, comprising a frame, a shaft rotatablymounted therein, arcuate cleaning means removably carried by the frameto oscillate with respect to said frame, and cam means carried by theshaft and having operative connection with the arcuate cleaning membersto impart an oscillatory motion thereto.

4. A switch cleaning device, comprising a supporting frame, clamp meansto connect the frame to a switch, a housing in said frame, a shaftjournaled through said housing, a plate mounted to oscillate about avertical axis operatively connected to said shaft, retaining pinsconnected to said plate, said retaining pins having an operativeposition and an inoperative position, and arcuate cleaning membershaving perforations in the ends thereof to be penetrated by theretaining pins when in an operative position to hold the cleaningmembers in a predetermined position with respect to the oscillatingplate.

5. A switch cleaning device, comprising a plurality of superposedarcuate leaves, hold ing means connected to the end of said leaves,resilient means connected to the holding means and contacting with oneof said superposed leaves to urge it at an angle to the plane of saidleaf, a frame, means to removably connect the frame to a switch, a shaftrotatably mounted in said frame, a plate slidably connected to the frameand operatively associated with the shaft to be reciprocated by arotation thereof, a plurality of rollers connected to the frame, anarcuate member mounted to oscillate be tween said rollers, a supportcarried by the arcuate member .and operatively associated With thereciprocating plate to oscillate said arcuate member, and retaining pinscarried by the arcuate member to engage the holding means connected tothe ends of the arcuate cleaning leaves to oscillate said cleaningleaves to clean a switch.

6. A switch cleaning device, comprising a frame, a shaft rotatablymounted in said frame, a plurality of rollers mounted transversely ofthe frame and positioned to support for oscillation an arcuate plate ofa predetermined thickness and curvature, a plate oscillatably supportedby said rollers, means operatively connecting the shaft to theoscillating plate to oscillate said plate upon a rotation of said shaft,retaining means connected to said oscillating plate, an arcuate cleaningmember removably connected to the oscillating plate by the retainingmeans to oscillate about the center of curvature of said oscillatingplate.

7. A switch cleaning device, comprising a frame, clamp means toremovably support the frame on a switch, a housing carried by saidframe, a shaft rotatably mounted in said housing, cam means integrallyconnected to said shaft, a plate slidably connected to the frame andconnected to said cam means to be r'eciprocated by a rotation thereof,an arcuate plate of a predetermined thickness and having a predeterminedcurvature, friction reducing means mounted transversely of the frame tosupport said arcuate plate for oscillation therebetween, meansconnecting the arcuate plate to the reciprocating plate to oscillatesaid arcuate plate upon a reciprocation of said reciprocating plate, andcleaning means removably connected to the arcuate plate to be oscillatedabout the center of curvature of said arcuate plate upon an oscillationthereof to clean a switch.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature,

WALTER F. KANNENBERG.

